“She ain't my blood, ain't got my name
But if she did, I'd feel the same
I wasn't there for her first steps
But I ain't missed a moment yet
And that ain't ever gonna change
I could never walk away
Yeah, she's my baby, my whole world
She ain't my blood, but she's my, she's my girl”

I sat here for an hour trying to think of a way to describe the feeling I get when I hear those words. Ten years ago, I became a father to an adorable 11-month-old who would affectionately refer to me as “Deeko” for years before she called me Dad. I’ve been there for her almost her entire life, and it’s been a privilege to watch her grow into the girl she is today.

“It hit me like a train the first time she called me dad”

I met my beautiful wife and daughter all those years ago when I was 22 and full of myself, and I had my guard up from my previous relationship. The walls I had up might as well have been made of sand because it didn’t take long for them to come down after meeting them. As for being full of myself, parenthood is a wonderfully humbling adventure.

“She's bigger than the plans I had
She's making me a better man”

I’ve seen my daughter learn her first words, ride her first bike, explore the world around her, and many more beautiful things that make me so proud. Every time she learns something new, I do too. It’s a fantastic experience to watch a child grow into a small person with their own ideas and interests. From barbies and gymnastics to phones and makeup. I don’t know if I‘m ready for this next round as she gets closer to being a teenager. But I wasn’t sure if I was prepared to be a father back then either, and that turned out just fine.

I love my girl. My world. My Peanut.